9 rules for unincorporated Colusa County, California.
Verified from official government sources
In unincorporated Colusa County, Chapter 7A (Weed Abatement) of the County Code requires owners to cut weeds and grass to three inches or less above ground level within fifty feet of structures before the annual 'plow down date' set by the County Fire Chiefs Association. The rule is a seasonal fire-prevention measure, not a general lawn-aesthetics ordinance.
Unincorporated Colusa County has no general ordinance dictating how or when private trees must be trimmed. Trimming is governed by sight-distance rules at intersections (Chapter 12D), firebreak/defensible-space requirements (Chapter 7 and state PRC 4291), and encroachment rules for vegetation overhanging county roads (Chapter 29). Routine pruning of trees on your own land needs no county permit.
Unincorporated Colusa County has no general tree-removal or oak-protection permit ordinance. Removing trees on your own property is generally allowed without a county permit, except within the fifty-foot riparian 'natural resource buffer area' along creeks, rivers, and wetlands, where cutting protective vegetation is prohibited under zoning Section 44-5.20. Most rural tree removal is unregulated by the county.
Chapter 7A of the Colusa County Code (Ord. No. 437) is the county's weed-abatement ordinance for the unincorporated area. It declares seasonal weed growth a recurring fire-safety nuisance and requires owners to clear weeds to three inches within fifty feet of structures by an annual plow down date. Fire districts can abate violations and bill owners.
Colusa County's zoning code (Section 44-3.10) regulates landscape water use for new and rehabilitated landscapes of 2,500+ square feet in urban zones, requiring efficient irrigation and limiting turf to 25% of landscaped area, and adopts California's Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (MWELO). Everyday watering for existing rural homes is governed mostly by state law and well capacity.
Unincorporated Colusa County has no ordinance restricting residential rainwater harvesting. Capturing rain from rooftops for outdoor use is legal under California's Rainwater Capture Act of 2012 (AB 1750), which bars local agencies from requiring a permit to install or operate a rain barrel system. The State Water Board confirms no water right is needed for rooftop rainwater.
Colusa County encourages, but does not mandate, native and water-conserving plants. Zoning Section 44-3.10.020 directs that landscape plants 'should be selected from a County-approved list of native, water-conserving, and non-invasive species,' and defines xeriscape landscaping that may satisfy minimum landscaped-area requirements. Native riparian vegetation along creeks is separately protected under Section 44-5.20.
Unincorporated Colusa County has no ordinance specifically permitting or banning artificial/synthetic turf. The zoning landscaping standards (Section 44-3.10) focus on water-intensive natural turf (which 'should' be limited to about 25% of a landscaped area) and on impervious-surface limits in setbacks, so synthetic lawns are generally allowed subject to those drainage and setback rules. No county turf permit exists for homeowners.
Colusa County allows backyard composting under Chapter 32 (Solid Waste) of the County Code, which requires noncommercial home composting to be done in a 'nuisance-free, vector-free manner' using only waste from the resident's own home. Statewide, California's SB 1383 mandates organic-waste recycling; unincorporated-county organics collection is provided through Recology Butte Colusa Counties.
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